Philadelphia Union defender Olivier Mbaizo finally got a chance to start for Cameroon in the Africa Cup of Nations and though it was merely a consolation match he ended up being part of a thrilling and unlikely comeback.
Playing for third place against the other semifinal loser Burkina Faso, the prospect of at least getting a medal for the host Indomitable Lions looked completely out or reach when Burkina Faso took a 3-0 lead in the 49th minute on a Djibril Ouattara goal Mbaizo could’ve done better to defend. The Stallions struck first through Steve Ago in the 24th minute and doubled their lead after a cross inadvertently bounced off the Cameroon keeper and went in
Cameroon got a life line when Stéphane Bahoken pulled a goal back in the 71st minute and Vincent Aboubakar, the tournament’s leading goal-scorer, did the rest to send the game straight to penalties after the 90 minutes blew.